


Everything He Ever Wanted

by blueelvewithwings



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: (spoiler alert it's a certain shitbag of a father), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Canonical Character Death, Child!Ray Palmer, Consensual Infidelity, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Happy Ending, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Master/Servant, Mention of Domestic Violence, Snark, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-15 22:08:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17537204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueelvewithwings/pseuds/blueelvewithwings
Summary: When crown prince Leonard falls in love with his servant Mick, he knows he's the one. He also knows that they can never be openly together, and his father keeps pressing him to get married. But then Miss Snow breezes into his life, fierce and strong and kind and inclined just like him - or more specifically, towards a certain Miss West. It doesn't take them all too long to work out an arrangement between the four of them...





	1. Cheesecake

**Author's Note:**

> //This was supposed to be a short fic of maybe 3k but then the idea of Caitlin and Iris kept sneaking in and before I know it I was writing basically two main pairings and ended up with this monster. There will be three chapters, all of them are written already, I will post them every second day.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leonard meets Mick, and falls for him faster than the speed of light.

Honestly, Len had expected his father to completely ignore his birthday, like he usually did. The king‘s birthday was always lavishly celebrated, the prince‘s birthday was less than a little side note in the day. The same went for the princess‘ birthday, of course. So when Lewis rose and announced that Len‘s birthday present was to be brought in, Len felt more trepidation than excitement. If his father would gift him with something it surely wasn‘t going to be for Len‘s benefit only.

„I know you don‘t like it when the servants handle your items, my son. But you’re doing too much by yourself, it is not befitting of the crown prince. So I have obtained a personal servant for you, he is freshly trained and will do whatever you ask of him. The trainers have made sure of that.” He gave a little wave of his hand, and the guards led in a young man that must be only a few years older than Len himself. He was stark naked, his hair shorn, and he was shackled on hand and foot. His head was bowed, but Len could see the angry glare directed at the floor. His left side was covered in angry, pink burn scars.

“Sadly, he is dumb, and he already has scars, but you won’t use him for his intellect or looks anyway. He might make a good punching bag when you get moody again, son. You can let it all out on him. And don’t worry about his service time, he burned down his family home with his family still in it, and since he couldn’t pay the family debt by himself he had to be taken in, naturally.”

“Naturally. Thank you so much, Father”, Len told him, trying to put on a convincing smile as he still looked over his new slave – because essentially that was what he’d just been given, right? - and tried not to be horrified.

“What’s your name?”

Silence. Len frowned a little, and was just about to ask again when the guard that had brought him in jammed the handle of his sword in the servant’s side. A pained gasp followed, and his fists clenched. But then, he spoke.

“My master hasn’t granted me a name yet.”

“See, he’s good.” Lewis was visibly pleased with himself and sat back down to tuck into his breakfast. Len wanted to hit his head on the table. Now Lewis would expect him to grateful for his terrifying gift forever and lord it over him until the end of his days. He shared a glance with Lisa, who was looking about as horrified as he felt. A _slave._ It was true that Len didn’t like the servants handling his things, but he didn’t think it was beneath him to carry his own dirty underwear down to the washing rooms either. Well, it seemed now he had someone to do it for him, and only one person who’d always do it. And apparently he was expected to hit and scar the poor guy, too.

“You have my gratefulness, Father” Len repeated before sitting down. The clanking of the chains as his new servant moved to stand behind him sent shivers down his back. He’d rather have his father ignore his birthday again, as usual. But he probably couldn’t ask for that for his twentieth. This evening there would even be a celebration for the common folk, for the coming-of-age of the crown prince. Now Len was old enough to take the throne once his father passed. If only he’d do that already.

Citing the need to get ready and prepare for his big party that evening, Len excused himself from breakfast early. He tried to ignore the clanking of the chains as his new shadow followed him to his chambers.

He found a key on his nightstand, and suppressed his anger at someone having been in his private space again in favour of taking off his servant’s chains. The clanking was giving him the creeps.

“So, let’s try this again. What’s your name?”

The angry glare got a little wild and caged then and flitted around the room, but the man wouldn’t meet Len’s eyes.

“My master hasn’t granted me a name yet.”

“Yeah alright, cut the crap. Just tell me your name.”

The man still hadn’t moved beyond kneading the fingers of one hand with the other, and now he swallowed and took a deep breath.

“Mick. Master.”

“Mick. Nice. It’s good to meet you.” Len turned away, trying to locate something he could give Mick to cover himself with. Just has he grabbed one of his tunics that was large enough that it should fit Mick as well, he felt as if he was being watched. When he turned around with a sigh, he caught the tail end of Mick quickly ducking his head again.

“Unless the floor is super interesting, you’re free to look wherever, you know. You got something to say?”

Mick frowned a little, but then shook his head. It wasn’t very convincing. Len tossed him the tunic and then flopped down to sit on his bed.

“Alright. That doesn’t look convincing. What is it, spit it out.”

Mick held the tunic in his hands, but didn’t move to put it on. Len suddenly had a vivid memory of his father taking him to the servant training center when he was younger, and showing him how all sense of disobedience and agency by themselves was beaten out of them. He sure hoped he wouldn’t need to tell Mick to get the fuck dressed already every morning.

“You’re not going to punish me… Master?”

“Why would I do that, it’s not like you’ve had any opportunity to misbehave so far.”

“I’m not supposed to use my name from before.” Before, Len figured, probably meant when he was still free.

“Bullshit. It’s your name, so you can just as well use it. Put that on, you’ll catch your death.” Mick looked a little doubtful, but easily enough slid the garment over his head. Well, this seemed like it would be a lot of work.

By the time afternoon rolled around, Len was sitting in his private bathroom in his tub, his eyes closed as clever fingers worked out the knots in his shoulders. He normally never let servants in the bath chambers when he was soaking, but Mick was here to be around permanently anyway, so why not. And he didn’t seem to be endlessly chatty like some of Lewis’ servants either. In fact, he didn’t seem to speak at all unless prompted, and kept his answers short and precise. Len remembered his father’s comment about Mick being dumb, but he thought that maybe he just wasn’t good with words, really. He did seem to take everything literally, as if he was afraid to toe some invisible line that he would fail to see.

Mick’s thumb ghosted over Len’s back where his neck joined his shoulder. He knew that there was a jagged scar sitting there, a result from Len throwing himself over Lisa just as Lewis had brought the piece of crystal glass that she’d accidentally broken down on her. He forced himself to not react to the touch.

Mick didn’t say anything, but Len felt him carefully mapping out the scars on his back and arms, as if reading Len’s story out of his scars alone. Somehow, he didn’t doubt that Mick knew exactly what he was seeing there. Once Mick had finished washing, massaging and examining his back he leaned back into the other man’s strong chest and let his eyes close for a moment. Mick’s arms came up around him as if instinctively, and Len allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. Maybe this present wasn’t the worst after all.

It turned out that Mick’s hands were not practiced when it came to fine motor skills, and he clumsily almost ripped a button off Len’s ceremonial clothing before Len took over himself, showing Mick how to put layer after layer of the clothes on until he was so wrapped up he could hardly move, but was dressed appropriately for the occasion.

“Where will you be while I have to go and be a prince?” Len asked as Mick helped him into his overcoat and then knelt to tie his shoes.

“Wherever you want me to be”, Mick shrugged. He sounded like he had wanted to put a ‘Master’ at the end of it, but Len had declared that he hated that title and being addressed by any title at all about half an hour into their knowing one another, so Mick had promptly dropped it. As Lewis had put it, he was a good one, after all.”

Len didn’t want to subject Mick to the horrible affair that was a celebration dinner with his father already, so he just told him to stay in Len’s rooms and make himself comfortable. Judging by Mick’s confused glance, he didn’t really know what that meant, but Len was sure he’d figure it out.

Once he entered into the Great Hall, Lisa on his arm with a fake smile plastered on her face, the guests all rose and cheered, and it sounded as fake as Len felt when he smiled and bowed to them all. No one had much love to spare for the king, and in return for the prince and the princess, though Len got the feeling that more and more of them noticed that Len and Lisa were very different from their father indeed.

Of course, as the honoured guest of the dinner, he got the seat of honour next to his father. Not that he necessarily wanted it, but it couldn’t be helped, really. He’d much rather have sat next to Lisa as usual and talked to her. As it was, he couldn’t do much more than smile and answer stupid questions while thinking about if he could get Mick to give him another bath later. That man’s hands were just divine. And Len wasn’t really hurting him when using it like that, right…?

When the first of the Lords and Earls started offering their daughters in marriage to Len again, he had to force himself to not roll his eyes, but smile and act as if he would seriously consider the offers. So far, that had been the one thing that he could count on from his shitbag of a father, to claim that Len was too young to be married yet. But with him reaching the age of majority now… “I’m sure my son will have taken a suitable bride before the year is out. Who knows, this time next year his wife might even gift him with a son of his own already...” Len wanted to throw up. He didn’t want a random scared girl that had been chosen for him because of her impeccable ancestry, didn’t want a marriage where they’d despise one another. He didn’t want to marry yet for a while anyway. But he knew the costs of disobedience, so he smiled and nodded and pretended to just be a bit shy about finding a wife.

The food tasted like ash.

Once back in his room he found Mick standing in a corner, hands folded behind his back and staring at the floor again. Len immediately noticed that his room had been tidied, everything put in its place neatly, and he could have sworn it was cleaner than before, too. He hated that, but it was better than the thought of Mick standing in the corner doing nothing all evening long.

“Have you eaten already?” he asked by way of greeting and started to take off his horribly itching clothes. Mick just shook his head and came closer to help him and neatly fold the clothes into a stack once Len had taken them off.

“No? Well, I could stand some dessert anyway. Come on.”

A few well-used sneaky hallways and some charming smiles at the kitchen staff later, they had acquired leftovers of the dinner for Mick (he stared at it as if he’d never eaten something that gorgeous in his life, which Len thought might be the sad truth) and half a cheesecake for them to share. He’d have taken the entire thing, but Cisco, the kitchen boy, had made puppy eyes at him and side-eyed the door hard enough for Len to know that Lisa had promised to come by later. All three of them pretended that Len hadn’t caught Lisa and Cisco kissing that one time late at night when coming down for a snack, but really he was happy for his sister. Cisco was a good guy, and a cutie. So of course, he left half the cake with him and took the other half up for Mick and himself.

“You sure I can eat this?” Mick asked, doubtful as he held the plate of food, staring down at the roast meat and vegetables. The best thing, the gorgeous rosemary potatoes that the cook made with goose fat, had sadly been gone already.

“Yeah. It’s my birthday, and I want you to have some of my birthday dinner too.” He flopped down on his bed and watched Mick tuck in. Mick was sitting cross-legged on the bed next to him and was mostly focused on the food, though he tossed some shy glances Len’s way. He seemed to like the food well enough though and polished the plate off easily. Len made a show of pushing himself up into a sitting position and handing Mick one of the two forks they had acquired so they could eat the cake together.

“You always treat servants like they’re your friends?” It sounded like Mick had thought all day about that question, and wasn’t sure what he should expect as an answer. Len’s shrug in response seemed to only confuse him though.

“I don’t have friends. Just Lisa.” Len shoveled some cheesecake on his fork and put it in his mouth as inelegantly as possible. “Is this what friends do?”

Mick watched him for a while, then took a big bite of the cheesecake as well. “How are you prince and don’t have friends? That’s stupid.”

“Yes well, all people that could be friends are either only talking to me _because_ I’m the prince, or want to marry me, or are too much below me or some shit. Do you have friends?”

Mick stared at him as if he’d grown a second head and shrugged. “Not ‘nymore. You’re nice though. Boss.”

“Boss, huh?”

“You said not to call you Master, but I don’t wanna lose a hand because I wasn’t respectful.” This man was a gem. He really, truly was.

“I like boss.”

Mick smiled a small, almost secretive smile that quickly disappeared in another bite of the cake. “This is really good.”

“This also good?” Len put another bite of it on his fork and then held it out to Mick. He watched as Mick leaned forward and took it off the fork, making eye contact all the way through.

“Also good”, he then admitted before scooping some up on his own fork and holding it out to Len. “But try this.” He couldn’t really say what feeling coursed through him when he leaned forward and took the bite from Mick’s fork in return, but it was heady and exciting and he wanted _more_.

So he tossed his fork down and grabbed Mick’s face instead, pulling him close to kiss him. It took a few moments for him to realise that Mick had tensed under him, so he pulled back with a frown.

“Sorry, I...”

“No need to apologise, your old man told you to do whatever with me.” Mick sounded gruff, and he didn’t meet Len’s eyes.

“I think he meant I could beat you, if I wanted, not kiss you.”

“I was thinking more that you could fuck me so you’d be practised for your sweet pretty wife that he’ll make you take soon.”

Len rolled his eyes again and flopped back down on the bed, so forcefully that he bounced a few times. The cheesecake moved a bit, but stayed on the bed with them. “Ugh. I don’t want a wife. I don’t want anyone I don’t like. Don’t wanna do it with anyone I don’t like, either. Don’t worry, I’d never use you for practice.”

“And what was that just now then?”

“Why, Mick, I’d have thought you know what a kiss looks like” Len teased and pushed himself up on one elbow, regarding Mick with a cocked head. “I hear the people outside of the castle get more experience in with that than us.”

“That wasn’t a kiss” Mick growled, and suddenly he was close and in Len’s space, and before Len had time to panic he was even closer and then his warm lips were on Len’s and then there was a tongue pushing and Len’s lips so Len opened them and there was Mick’s tongue inside his mouth and oh god it felt so good so close so Mick oh god oh god oh god oh-

“That was just a peck. _This_ was a kiss.”

Len was panting, and all he could focus on was Mick in front of him, and he was so beautiful, glorious and strong and scarred and sexy as hell in Len’s tunic, with cheesecake crumbs and a single sauce stain down the front and all Len could think about was -

“Do it again.”

When Len finally felt like his brain had come back online, much, much later, they were both lying down, Mick on top of Len, one fork poking into Len’s calf, and the rest of the cheesecake had ended up on the floor. A shame, really. It had been really good.

“Have you done this before?” Len asked as Mick rolled off him, and pushed himself up enough so he could take the offending fork and toss it on the floor as well. Mick could – they could clean it up together, later.

“Making out? A buncha times. You’re good though. Boss.”

Len rolled over to pillow his head on Mick’s chest in response. “Have you done more than making out?”

“You asking me if I fucked before?”

He nodded, suddenly feeling a little shy.

“I did. Two gals and a guy. Is fun.” It was followed by a little shrug, and then they were quiet for a long moment. Len had to think about how he didn’t have any experience at all, and how he’d never thought he’d get any before he got married. But with Mick… But then what? He’d have a good time with Mick, and when his father found a bride for him, he’d have to drop him like a hot potato and make him go back to cleaning up after the prince? No, he couldn’t do that. On the other hand, if he gave it a try, and it would work… how long would he be able to put it off? And how long until someone finally succeeded in assassinating his father? He knew there were attempts all the time, but so far the only people harmed were guards and his father’s personal tasters. Len almost hoped that one of these days they’d succeed. Now that he was of age he’d be able to take the throne then, after all, and show them that he was made of a different wood.

He only stirred from his thoughts when Mick moved, carefully pushing Len off just to grab the blanket and pull it over him. “You’re getting cold” he explained before sliding out of the bed with a resigned face. “You should sleep, boss.”

“Maybe I’d sleep better with a heater close to me?”

“If you want to… not sure that’s a good way to lose your virginity though, with some servant...”

“I was just talking cuddles, you know, and you’re not just some servant. Really though, where did you think you’d sleep?”

Mick bent down to pick up the fallen cheesecake, the plate it had been on and the forks and put it down on Len’s vanity before shrugging. “I dunno, the floor? Or some servant quarters? How the fuck should I know where you put your slaves, it’s not like I was told.”

“I think we have servant’s quarters somewhere, actually. But you’re not sleeping on my floor, and I have a big bed, so get the fuck in here.”

Mick took the time to get a rag and clean off the smears of cheesecake from the floor before complying and climbing in, only to let out a low chuckle when Len immediately scooted close and pressed into his side. Len thought it was a heavenly sound. And, he thought as he slowly fell asleep, lulled in by the rise and fall of Mick’s chest, his father would never guess what a gorgeous, gorgeous present he’d given Len. He’d never had a friend before.

The next day at breakfast Len could steel feel a phantom tingle of fire where Mick had kissed up his back as he had closed up his jacket for the day, and he could also feel Mick’s eyes on his back. Sadly he would never be allowed to sit at the table with him, but at least he was close, and Len could have an eye on him.

“How do you like your present, my son?” From the way Lewis was leering at him, Len could guess now that he had expected him to fuck Mick through the mattress. If only he’d know what had really happened the night before.

“He’s very good, like you said, thank you so much, Father.” Len’s smile was much too genuine for what he usually gave his father, and much too cheeky, but he wouldn’t be opposed to the king thinking that he had successfully acquired a sex toy for his son. Better than him expecting to see signs of violence, and much better than him knowing what was really going on. “I think I’ll like him just fine for a long time.”

Mick appeared next to him to top off his glass, and he could feel a short squeeze of a large hand to his arm. And instantly, he felt more relaxed. Knowing that he wasn’t alone in this was helping tremendously in being able to bear his father. Suddenly, he felt like he knew why Lisa had been more relaxed at meals ever since Cisco had started waiting on her. He looked across the table and gave his baby sister a wink and a smile. She waited until Lewis was focused on his plate again before giving him a quick thumbs up.

Len would bet his ass that the sudden cough behind him was Mick trying to hide a laugh. Cisco across from him was certainly hiding his grin in a quick clearing of his throat behind his hand. Len stuck his tongue out at him.

He found it almost impossible to concentrate on his lessons that day, but for the first time in ages, he actually tried to pay attention. He hated the way his teachers spoke to him, and some of their teachings made him want to strangle them, but they were right. How could he be expected to be a good king if he did not know his way around politics and history? How could he argue against misguided people if he had never followed their train of thought to try and understand it? How could be build his own opinion of something when he had no idea about it? How could he show them a better way if he hadn’t figured it out by then?

How could he make sure theirs would be a world with a better place for Mick if he didn’t know how it worked now?

Ah, Mick. He couldn’t wait to get back to him.

What he found when he finally got back to his room was a Mick that looked vaguely panicked and his little sister that was questioning him as if he’d committed a capital crime. His sweet Lisa, making sure Len was safe and happy in her own way.

“I see you’ve met my sister. She can be scary, but she’s the sweetest, really.” He demonstratively smooched Lisa on the cheek before plopping down next to her on the bed. “Don’t scare Mick away, Lise, he might just become a friend.”

“I know, I think you’re a bit more than friends already, idiot” Lisa told him and very obviously scrubbed on the imaginary spot on her cheek as if she was offended. For good measure, he pressed a smooch to her other cheek as well. That earned him a slap on the chest and a squealing sister that fled from his room. No doubt she would be going down to the kitchens to hang out with Cisco before diner.

“Long day, boss?” Mick was suddenly there, and his hands were on Len’s shoulders and his lips on Len’s own, and in that moment Len could not recall a single thing about his day. It was as if kissing Mick just switched off his brain for a while. Not that he minded that much, really.

“Learning history is always boring, they always skip the fascinating parts, I have to read up on those on my own anyway.”

“There’s worse things. And we all have to learn things we don’t want to. One year the cats on the farm got too big a litter, and we couldn’t keep them fed so my old man taught me how to drown the kittens. Didn’t wanna learn that either.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but Len thought he could detect a sadness in his voice. Well, who wouldn’t be sad at the thought of drowning kittens…

“You grew up on a farm then?” That somehow seemed a safer topic than asking about questionable animal holding techniques.

Another little shrug, followed by a nod. “Dad’s a farmer, so the sons become farmers too.” Yeah, he knew that concept. It was the same logic by which he’d inherit the throne, really.

“What happened?”

This time there was only a shrug, and Mick stared out of the window as if the solution to all the problems of the world was hidden there. He didn’t answer. After a few moments, Len let it drop and reached to take Mick’s hand.

“What did you do today?”

“I took care of your horse, moved it a bit, gave it a ride through the woods with one of the stable boys who took care of it before. Barley or something, endless chatterbox. Cleaned out your disgusting fireplace, then you sis came in.”

“Oh, Barry. Barry’s nice. Very chatty, but really cares about the horses. Not so much about people, but that’s not always a bad thing.”

Mick just patted his thigh in response and pushed himself up off the bed. Len knew that he had perfectly good chair sin his room, but really, sitting on the bed was just so much nicer.

“Let’s get you cleaned up for dinner? I already laid out some clothes for you.” Mick gestured towards the bathroom, and Len complied with a little sigh. He really didn’t want to face Lewis already again. He only had to see him at meal times, luckily, but that still meant two to three times a day.

At dinner, he was confronted with yet more marriage proposals, and his father actually made him look over the letters that had been sent so he could see all the ‘quality on offer’ for himself. He felt sick.

That was, until he found one letter of the father of one Miss Caitlin Snow. It was well known among the high and mighty that Miss Snow was most often seen in the company of Miss Iris West, and they were rumored to be much more than just close friends. It seemed that Miss Snow’s father finally wanted to be done with the rumors and find a respectable husband for his daughter. And well… Len might just have gotten an idea there.


	2. Blizzard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leonard and Caitlin meet, and an arrangement is made.

A mere week later, Len was sitting in one of the meeting rooms, rising when the door opened and Miss Snow stepped inside. Len had already spoken to her father the day before, and it had been agreed that they could have a chaperoned meeting alone. Their chaperones were – unsurprisingly – Miss West and Lisa. They both entered along with Miss Snow, and after a short greeting and curtsying they went to sit a little ways off to watch them while Len and Miss Snow sat down together on the table where afternoon tea was served up and all laid out.

“Miss Snow, it’s such a pleasure to make your acquaintance”, Len told her with a smile as he poured her tea for her.

“Your Royal Highness.” Her tone was clipped and cold, but just polite enough so he wouldn’t be able to call her out on it. “You should know that I do not share my father’s desire to find me a husband. Soon or otherwise.”

Perfect. Just what he had speculated on, and straight to the point. “Well, my lady, believe me, I do not share my father’s desire to find me a wife. Soon or otherwise.” In response, her gaze flickered over to Lisa for the fraction of a second, and then she picked up her cup of tea and leaned back a little in her seat. Very un-ladylike. He liked it.

“So why are we here, then? You don’t strike me as the kind of person to do your father’s bidding without being forced.”

“I normally don’t, no. But I thought maybe we could come up with something that would suit us both, and make our parents happy enough to finally be content with our situation. I doubt you’re liking it very much how your father is practically trying to sell you to a man if he’s only willing to put up with your temper. He was very direct about that one when I talked to him yesterday, and lamented the fact that apparently your temper ruined several… ‘good-looking prospects’ already. And you’re not cattle to be sold, my lady, so we could put an end to this.”

She still looked doubtful, but at least vaguely intrigued. “And how do you propose we do so, my prince? Fall in love, get married, give our fathers what they want? I already told you, I’m not in the market for a husband, no matter what my father believes. And if I need my ‘temper’ to ruin another ‘good-looking prospect’, I will have no troubles doing so.”

Len looked her over, and he had to admit that he was impressed by her boldness. Not everyone would dare to refuse the prince so outright. “I thought without the falling in love part. Just… getting married and coming to a mutual understanding, if you will.”

“Mutual understanding? And what is that? I play your adoring wife and endure you taking however many mistresses you want, and in return I get to be a princess? No thank you, my prince.”

Len actually smirked at that. Miss Snow could be an amazing friend to have, hopefully. Maybe a second friend to have, after Mick.

“A little variation on that, actually. You see, there’s rumors that you and Miss West are very close, I am given to understand.”

“It’s not unusual to form close friendships, what are you accusing me of?” she snapped, and for a moment Len feared she’d actually walk out on him. Time to get to the point, then.

“Listen. My offer is this: we marry, we lay together enough so you’ll get pregnant, hopefully bear me a son, for traditional law’s sake. You get to be princess, and later queen at my side. And you’ll get to stay with Miss West, or whoever you want to spend you life with, as long as I can stay with who I choose to be with. We’ll be a married pair to the public, and we’ll be honest towards one another, and we each can be with those who captured our heart.” He glanced over to the other side of the room where Lisa was doing her best to do some small talk with a stunned looking Iris West. No doubt she had heard Len’s offer, and now she looked torn between joy and absolute terror.

“Are you saying you believe those rumors?” Miss Snow hissed, much more defensive than he had assumed she would be. Well, the types of affairs that she was rumored to be in could get her stripped of everything and thrown in prison, if not executed under his father’s reign, so he couldn’t really fault her. Maybe it was time for the big guns.

“What I’m saying is that I have a gentleman friend just like you have your lady friend, and neither of us can openly be who they are. So instead of us having to hide and be miserable forever I’m proposing a solution that could help us both. Pretend to be together in public, not have to hide who we are in private. Of course I would make sure that Miss West will have a position here at court that will allow her to be close to you.” He stood and held out his hand to her.

“So, Miss Snow, what do you say?”

She gave him a calculating look, and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

“A baby, you say? So you will want to bed me?”

“There always needs to be an heir, and an heir by blood, at that. So yes… yes.”

She focused her gaze on a point behind him, and he knew that she was looking at Miss West now, probably trying to judge her reaction. Len very pointedly did not look over his shoulder.

After a few moments, Miss Snow pushed herself to her feet and firmly took his hand. No bowing, no curtsying, just two people coming to an understanding.

“Don’t expect me to be enthusiastic on our wedding night.”

Len felt a bigger grin stretch across his face and squeezed her hand in return. “We’ll both long for someone else anyway.”

Decision made, Len led Miss Snow – Caitlin now, she insisted – out to meet their fathers. A shaking Lord Snow had already given his permission for the courtship before Len had even properly asked, and Lewis even looked vaguely proud as Len presented his new ‘lady friend’ to his father.

“She’s got good child-bearing hips, my son. She’ll bear you many healthy children.” Well, Len would be happy with just one but he didn’t comment on it, simply faking a smile and bowing before taking Caitlin out of his father’s presence as soon as he could, and then accompanying her to her chariot that would take her home – right along with Miss West, of course.

When he came back into his rooms that night Mick was waiting for him, as usual, but he had a stormy expression on his face. When Len leaned in to kiss him he didn’t pull back, but Len also noted that he didn’t return the kiss either. Confused, he sat down on his bed.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course, Boss. Congratulations on your engagement.” Mick didn’t look at him as he spoke, so Len took his hand and tugged on it until Mick came to stand in front of him.

“It’s a courtship, not an engagement. And it’s to a lovely lady who’s with another lovely lady. So we’ll pretend to be together for the court and the public, but we can still be with who we really want to be with.”

“Yeah, and who’s that? You found the lucky lady yet?”

Len stood up, nose to nose with Mick now, and pulled him into another kiss. “Correct me if I’m wrong but last time I checked you weren’t a lady.”

Mick actually took a step back at that, staring at Len as if he’d just burst into flames. “Boss. You know I’m just a servant, right? I’m not some fancy lord, or some rich dude’s son. I’ll never be anything but your side whore or a little bit of fun. I know that, don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not making fun of you!” Len took a step closer again, going after Mick and taking both his wrists in his hands.

“I just… look, Mick, maybe I shouldn’t, but I like you. You’re so… you. I want that. I want you. I want to be with you, but I can’t do so openly. But if I find someone who accepts that, and who won’t resent me for it…Mick, that means we could be together. Unless you… don’t want to?”

Len watched as Mick tilted his head, watching Len in return like a predator that was focusing on his pray. The next moment, Len found himself back on his bed, Mick on top of him with his tongue deep in Len’s mouth, and his hands already sliding under Len’s clothes.

“Will you let me be your first then, Lenny?” Mick breathed into his skin as he kissed his way down Len’s throat, “will you give yourself to me?”

And of course, Len did.

Waking up the next day was even more amazing than the days before, wrapped up in Mick’s arms and snuggled into that big, strong chest. Len never wanted to let go. He was aware that he’d only known Mick for a short amount of time, but he also knew that he was something special. Len rarely ever trusted anyone, let alone develop feelings, but somehow Mick had snuck straight past his defenses and right into his heart. And now that he was there, Len didn’t mind him at all. On the contrary, he desperately wanted to keep him there now.

He still needed to assure Mick several times that he wouldn’t just see him as a piece on the side once he and Caitlin got married, even though Mick seemed to see that as a fact he just had to accept. But no, Len only wanted Mick, and he’d find a way to have and keep him. He might despise his father for everything he’d ever done, but when it came to keeping things that were important to him, Leonard Snart very much was his father’s son.

His courtship with Caitlin went much better than expected, by his own judgement. They often met in the palace gardens, strolling around with Lisa or some lordlings in tow, talking and just passing the time. The more they got to know each other, the more Len felt like they really, truly could end up as good friends. Of course, he had to act all enamoured and in love where people could see, so he’d always greet her with a kiss to her hand and touched her arm more than they were both comfortable with. She took it in stride, though, and in a quiet moment where they had been mostly unobserved (Lisa didn’t count because Lisa knew what was going on anyway), she had expressed her thanks for his proposal. Len had just winked at her and then waved at Miss West – Iris by now – who had arrived to pick Caitlin up from their date. They probably went to a proper date with just the two of them straight afterwards.

Whenever he could, Len took Mick out of his rooms and out of the castle, riding through the woods with him or having a picnic in a field somewhere. Once they even stayed out all night to see a meteor shower, and kissing Mick under the stars was just about everything Len had ever wanted. He never wanted to stop. When he told Mick as much, he found himself gently pushed back into the grass, and Mick made love to him right there, under the open sky. No, Len thought, _this_ was everything he had ever wanted.

After a scant couple of months, Len took Iris out to the Royal Jeweler, and she picked a gorgeous golden ring with a frosty finish that she said would suit her Caitlin. Len was sure it would, and he only wished that it could actually be Iris to put it on Caitlin’s finger. But he couldn’t always have everything he wanted, so he would have to do it himself. He made sure to set up an extra romantic date, and Mick went out personally to scrub the bench in the palace’s rose gardens and to arrange some flower pots around it. Len had long since discovered that unlike himself, Mick actually knew how to handle plants, and did so very well. Len’s potted plants in his rooms looked much more alive now than they had ever been.

He had no idea if Iris really hadn’t said anything or if Caitlin was just a really good actor, but her surprised gasp as he went down to one knee and proposed to her sounded very sincere.

“Oh my… yes, of course!” She held out her hand, and Lisa, Mick and Iris behind them graciously clapped their hands as Len slid the ring on her finger before pressing a kiss to the back of her palm. “It suits you well, my fiancé.”

“Oh, stop it”, she giggled and gently slapped him on the arm. “You do have a very nice taste in jewelry though.”

“Well, it was Iris who picked it out, so I can’t take all the praise for it”, he admitted, and watched as she looked around to check if anyone was in viewing distance before kissing Iris full on the mouth. Len sat back down on the bench and grinned at them. They had long since given up any pretense of not being together around Len and Lisa, and Mick in extension. Len wasn’t as forthcoming yet, but he knew he fooled absolutely no one and that they knew full well what Mick was to him.

He gave Caitlin a smile when she sat back down next to him, and she gently nudged him. “So… do you expect me to be a virgin on our wedding night? In the ways that matter for that sort of stuff, I mean?”

Len rolled his eyes, then nudged her back. “Really. Have fun with your woman. I’d feel bad knowing you hadn’t been with Iris in that way before.”

“You’re a good friend, Leonard, you know that?”

Len tilted his head back and watched the sky above him, his eyes following a single swallow that was flying overhead.

“I wouldn’t know, you’re probably the second friend I ever had, Miss Snow. Or should I say Mrs-Snart-to-be now?”

“How about ‘my future Queen’? That has a nice ring to it, I think.”

Len might not be in love with her, but he certainly did love Caitlin, he knew that much in that moment. She would be the perfect queen one day. Decisive, firm, but kind and with endless patience if needed, and a wicked sense of humor.

And Mick and Iris were just the perfect fit for them, somehow. He had the feeling that the four of them would make a great team, and then there was Lisa as well, and Cisco, who Caitlin had taken an immediate liking to. One time they’d been on a date Caitlin had spent more time talking to Cisco than Len, but they’d chattered away so happily that he hadn’t even felt bad for it.

Len designed a new layout for the crown prince’s chambers, one that would allow Caitlin and him to have separate bedrooms that were adjourning, so they could easily slip in and out as needed. And of course, they’d each have their partner in their own bedroom, just like it should be. Len had been a bit scared that it wouldn’t go according to plan, but he’d tasked Mick with overseeing the whole procedure and somehow his darling managed to scare the workers into minding every little detail. Len supposed it had something to do with his bulk and his scars and his broody glare that he could do and the fact that everyone knew that Mick was very much in favour with the crown prince himself, so no one wanted to cross him. Mick had told him once that he sometimes almost felt like ‘one of your fancy lord assholes’ with how well the rest of the servants treated him by now, and Len had assured him that he was very much not a fancy lord asshole. He was much too _Mick_ for that.

Once the suite was done and a date was set, preparations started in earnest. Of course, the entire kingdom was excited and in awe to see their crown prince getting married. Mick helped him choose his outfit, and then got roped into picking a dress for Caitlin as well by Iris. Len had never seen his strong lover so haunted and terrified as the day he came back from dress shopping with the two women. He decided not to ask any questions. Lisa snickered and laughed so hard she fell over and rolled on the floor when she saw his expression.

Women.

They had decided early on that they needed to have a lavish wedding, big and glamorous and showy, but neither of them really cared a lot. It was just a show, in the end. They both knew that their real love lay somewhere else. So they split the tasks. Caitlin chose the cake, Len chose the flowers. Caitlin chose the place settings, Len chose the table decoration, and so on and so forth. Len had no idea if everything would match in the end, but Lisa assured him that it did. He strongly suspected her of tweaking some of their decisions to make things fit, but she smiled his accusations away with her angelic smile.

“I would never, Lenny.”

Len took that to mean that he was right, but he was grateful for her to make things work so he didn’t call her out.

Lewis of course did not participate in any of the preparations, but he did take time to lecture Len on how he should make sure his wife would be obedient and do his bidding, and how the man was always above the woman, and how he shouldn’t publicly do so but sometimes a woman just needed a good beating to be obedient.

Len wanted to beat him into obedience in return, but settled for telling it to Caitlin the next day and having a hearty laugh with her.

“You lay a hand on me and you’re dead, crown prince or not”, she told him then once they had calmed down again, and her tone left little doubt as to the sincerity of her statement. Len had no doubt that she could make him disappear in the blink of an eye.

“Wouldn’t dream about it. That’s not really my style. I let Mick do my dirty work for me”, he drawled with a wink. Caitlin kicked him in the shin and then refilled his drink.

“He lies a hand on me, you’re both dead men, my friend.”

Len raised his glass to that.


	3. Past, Present and Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Len and Caitlin remain good friends, through the consummation of their wedding and other hardships life throws at them.

The morning of the wedding, Len found himself much more nervous than he was expecting. He was getting married, today, yes, but it was just to a friend, and they were honest with one another and they knew where they stood, which he knew was more than most married couples could say of one another.

He still couldn’t help like feeling that he was betraying Mick though. Mick, who had found his place in Len’s heart and his life and his bed, and who Len never wanted to lose again. If Len would marry for love, it would have been Mick, he was sure of that. As it was, all he had been able to do is take Mick down into a clearing on the full moon and stand there with him under the clear night sky and gift him with a ring he could wear on a necklace that had Len’s eternal devotion to him inscribed on the inside. Mick had actually teared up a bit, and Len could still feel Mick’ lips on his, fierce and hot and devouring. He closed his eyes and let his memories take him back to that moment. Really, if what he felt mattered, then that had been the moment he’d gotten married for real.

But now he was standing in his chambers with Mick, getting dressed to join hands with Caitlin and swear eternal faithfulness to her. That was what they had agreed on. They’d be faithful to one another in their convictions, and in sharing their time and their lives and working together to make this kingdom a better place. And they’d always be truthful to one another as well. The thing they would not swear was fidelity, because they both knew that it would only be lip service. They would never only be with the other, not while being in love with someone else.

Before he went down to walk down the aisle and wait for Caitlin at the end, he took Mick aside and drew him into a deep kiss and a close hug.

“You know you’re the only one for me, right? I don’t care what everyone else says and what they think. You’re it, Mick. You’re the one, and I’m so happy that we found and that we have one another.”

“Yeah, whatever, boss. Go save your mushy stuff to serenade your bride later” Mick gave back, but he still drew Len into a soft, gentle kiss before sending him off on his own. In another life, Len would marry him. He was sure of it.

He walked down the aisle and smiled at all the people in attendance. He didn’t want to be here, and he didn’t want to get married to someone he wasn’t romantically involved with, but at least he got married to someone he liked. That was more than he had expected when he was growing up. And Caitlin was a fine woman, really. He was just sad for her that like him, she couldn’t openly be with who her heart really belonged to.

At the front, he graciously gave Lisa a hug as he came to stand beside her, and she squeezed him before pulling back. “Looking good there, jerk.”

“You too, sis” he murmured and patted her shoulder. She was looking very nicely done up in her fine dress, and absolutely ready to kill. Just perfect.

Lewis was already sitting in his appointed chair, looking smug and self-satisfied. He probably thought that everything would go well for him now, now that his son was taking a wife. And Len was aware that this was much earlier than Lewis had expected him to give in to being nagged about marriage. Well, if he hadn’t met Mick he probably wouldn’t have given in this fast. But with Mick, he had needed to find a way to stay with him without always being pressured to find a woman, and now he had found exactly that.

Caitlin was gorgeous as she walked down the aisle, dressed in a white, amazing gown that flowed around her as if it was made out of water. The flowers in her bouquet were Irises, as Lisa helpfully pointed out, and Len couldn’t help but smirk at that reference. Such a badass woman. Iris was already crying where she was sitting somewhere in the crowd, and her eyes were on Caitlin alone. Len knew that those two would have wanted to marry as much as Len and Mick would want.

He bowed over her hand and kissed it when she arrived at the altar, and then took her arm, formally taking her out from under her father’s protection and into his own as he led her forward to where his father’s slimy high priest Thawne was standing. Apparently it had been too much to ask to be married by someone they actually liked and whose views they agreed with. So now they had to sit down in front of Thawne, and they only shared a short glance before Len nodded at Thawne to start the ceremony.

It was, all in all, a nice ceremony, he guessed. The flowers were nice, the bride was beautiful, they managed to say the right things in the right place. And as they stood there, facing one another and holding hands, Len was sure that both of them imagined someone else standing there, hands joined with their own and ready to make a vow for a lifetime.

Caitlin had to let out a little chuckle when Len failed to put on her wedding band on the first try, but in his defense he’d only ever put a ring on a woman’s hand once before. Caitlin managed much more smoothly and gave him a smug little glance once she had slipped on his ring. And then it was time for the big show, when they were pronounced husband and wife and Len took Caitlin to pull her close and press his lips to hers. It was close-mouthed and dry, but it was a nice kiss, he supposed. A nice kiss for a friend.

For good measure, and because everything had gone just like they had wanted it to, he pulled her into a hug afterwards, and she hugged him back fiercely. It might not be what they would want in an ideal world, but they’d be good together, he thought. They could do and achieve great things together.

When they walked down the aisle hand in hand, Len’s eyes finally found Mick at the very back of the crowd, squeezed into a corner and watching with his arms crossed. His eyes met Len’s, and Len could see that he’d been crying even from a distance. He hated that he couldn’t run there and take him in his arms, hug him and hold him close and kiss him for all the world to see. Instead he just held Mick’s eyes and raised his hand, placing it on his own chest right where he was wearing a ring that was matching Mick’s, on a necklace like Mick had his. That one meant more to him than the one on his finger. Where he was concerned, that was the one that really mattered.

He could see Mick smiling and pressing a hand to his own chest in response, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Caitling doing a similar gesture in Iris’ direction. Well, they both had their priorities, after all.

Mick was standing behind Len to serve him during the reception dinner, and he could feel Mick’s hand on his back every time he came close and bent down to refill Len’s glass, and Len made sure to always gave his hand a little touch before he withdrew again. Iris was nowhere to be seen, but Caitlin just smiled and shook her head when he asked her where she was. He was sure that Caitlin knew exactly where she was, but he could also imagine that maybe Iris didn’t want to torture herself and watch her lady love get married more than was necessary. But Mick, who still was Len’s personal servant, he had to be there and wait on Len the entire evening.

Len and Caitlin both rose when Lewis came over, bowing to their king and taking his congratulations with a smile. Len didn’t like the way his father eyed his wife, but he knew that nothing could be done for that for the time being. Lewis was the king, and an asshole who thought he could take whatever he wanted, so he did.

“I hope you practiced for your wife on your slave a bit, son. We can’t have her complaining that you’re not good, after all, right?” The king actually laughed at his own joke and harshly clapped Len on the shoulder, and Len forced himself to return the smile.

“I have been putting him to good use, Father. It was a very generous present that you made me.” He knew that Mick was tensing where he stood behind him, but he couldn’t afford to turn and make sure he was alright. He wasn’t supposed to care about him, after all. He was supposed to just see him as a plaything, a toy and a convenient outlet for just about anything he needed to get out of his system. In the end, Len supposed, it had mainly been love that he’d needed to get out of his system.

“Good. Well, now you might need to think about finding other uses for him, now that you have a wife. Unless she is prone to headaches, then you might want to keep him. And a man’s tightness is sometimes just what you need, believe me, my son.”

That was definitely more information than Len had ever needed or wanted on his father, but he just smiled it all away and just waited for Lewis to wander off before giving Caitlin a rueful smile. “Between you and me, please have as many ‘headaches’ as you want. As long as they are made out of not wanting to be in bed with me, it’s all no problem.”

Caitlin flicked him in the arm, but gave him a wink. “Well, for tradition’s sake I don’t think I’ll have a headache tonight. For half the night. And then I might just develop one.” Len snickered in response and quickly kissed her on the cheek. They’d talked beforehand about how they knew they were going to be spied on so they would spend the first part of the night together and consummate their marriage, but then each be with their own partner for the rest of the night.

Dinner was lovely, and Len was sure that once dessert rolled around, he saw Cisco bring in more plates and cutlery and then squirrel away one of the cheesecakes. He saw that he was being observed by Len, and quickly winked at him before disappearing down towards the kitchens. Len speculated that the cheesecake would show up in his rooms for Mick and him to share at some point during the night. Traditionally, it would only be half a cheesecake. He didn’t know if the other half would be for Lisa and Cisco as it usually was, or if Caitlin and Iris would get them tonight. In any case Len made sure to not eat a lot of dessert, and when Caitlin eyed him sceptically he just winked and waved her off. He’d never told her the story of Mick and his first night together. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell her, either.

It took Mick nudging him and giving a low grunt for him to realise that people had been staring to mingle on the dance floor, but everyone was still clearly waiting for the newlyweds to step forward and do their first dance. With a little inward sigh, Len pushed himself up and held out his hand to Caitlin, taking her and leading her to the dance floor. “A dance, my lady?” he asked her and bowed to her formally. In return, she curtsied and gave him a nod, and soon they were swaying over the dance floor to some ridiculously romantic music. Len noted that neither of them were particularly good a dancer, but at least they didn’t step on each other’s toes. Or at least not overly much… His toes were still smarting, and he had felt Caitlin wince at least once. Ah well, at least it wasn’t just one clumsy idiot among the two of them.

He felt bad for Caitlin once Lewis swooped in to dance with her, but he just gave her a sympathetic look and then asked her mother for a dance. Caitlin’s mother wasn’t someone that appeared overly warm to him, and Caitlin had mentioned that they weren’t necessarily on good terms, but Len smiled at her anyway and complimented her dress and her dancing style and her wonderful daughter and told her how happy he was that he had been allowed to be the one to take Caitlin as a wife. By the end of the dance, he felt like he had sufficiently wrapped her around his fingers and she wouldn’t suspect a thing. It was important that her parents believed them to be happy in love, after all. He wouldn’t want the rumors that they had someone on the sides starting too soon. Because start they would, he was sure of it. They wouldn’t be able to keep things hidden forever.

It was the end of the reception though that he was dreading, but luckily it was Caitlin who took the lead on that one, asking him if he was tired and if her Lord Husband wanted to retreat to his chambers with her. So of course he nodded and they took their leave from their guests, and exited the room hand in hand, leaned closely together as if they couldn’t get enough of one another. As soon as they had reached a more quiet part of the castle though they pulled apart, and the only one who saw was Cisco who was stealthily moving through the castle but still managed to clumsily collide with Caitlin because he wasn’t watching where he was going. He came from the direction of Len’s quarters, and he carried half a cheesecake. He looked at them a bit sheepishly and then eyed the door of Lisa’s rooms that they were just passing. Coming to think of it, Lisa had disappeared without a trace a while ago.

Good for her.

Len gave Cisco a sharp nod and made sure to glare at him, like he always did when he needed to warn him not to hurt his sister, and the young man quickly nodded and then slipped through the door in Lisa’s rooms. They had that exchange down to a routine, the two of them.

Once they made it to Len’s rooms, Caitlin immediately toed off her shoes and then flopped down on Len’s bed. “So, are you going to ravish me now, my Lord Husband, or what?”

Len had started with loosening and taking off his cravat, and he had to suppress a little snort at her words. “Sure. I’m so going to ravish you now, my wife. I’m sure you’ll never want the company of Miss West after this.” He stuck out his tongue at her to show he really didn’t mean it, and she tossed a pillow at him in return.

“I’d say I should peg you for saying that, make sure you never want your Mick again, but since all this is to get me pregnant and I’d rather sleep with you as little as possible, that would be counterproductive.”

Len tossed the pillow back at her and went to sit on the edge of the bed. “Well, either way we’re both wearing too much” he shrugged and tugged off one of her white silk gloves.

“And Mick doesn’t even need fancy equipment to peg me, so he’s got one on you there.”

“Eww, Leonard, too much information.” She pushed him off the bed with a foot and then sat up to start taking off her wedding gown.

In return, Len started taking off his clothes as well, and he felt like they’d both never done something as unsexy as this, but well, it actually wasn’t about being sexy, so they’d make it work somehow. Once they were both undressed, Len slowly walked over and sat on the bed as well. He let Caitlin pull him into a kiss, but it was a truly short-lived one. It really wasn’t working for them, it seemed.

“Meh, not even imagining you’re Iris helps, you just have a men’s mouth” Caitlin informed him and flopped down on her back. Len wisely didn’t ask what precisely a “men’s mouth” was.

“Let’s do this the old-fashioned way. Give me your hand.” Confused, Len held out his hand, only for Caitlin to take it and guide it between her legs. Oh. Soon his hand was nestled up against her crotch, and she pressed his fingers against a nub he could feel there.

“Rub this. Gently, just some circling motion” she instructed, and let out a little gasp as he complied. It seemed to work then, even if he had no clue what he was doing. He assumed it was some sort of foreplay, and it did seem to get Caitlin going a bit. As he went on, he felt that she was growing wet, and when she closed her eyes and let her head fall back in a silent gasp he reached down with his free hand and started to stroke himself to hardness. It took more time than he would ever need with Mick, but at least he could get it up. Anything else would have been truly embarrassing, really. Once he was hard he shuffled a little closer, positioning himself between her legs so he could slowly approach. Caitlin had opened her eyes again by then and gave him a wink.

“Do your worst. Come on. But be careful, please.”

“Of course.” He hated how hoarse he sounded, and how affected he was by the view in front of him. Caitlin was a friend, he should enjoy seeing her spread out in front of him like a feast, especially not with Mick and Iris waiting in the next room for them to be done. But then, for his performance it was probably best that he enjoyed what he had to do, so maybe it wasn’t that big of a problem.

He carefully hoisted her hips up a bit and gripped himself with one hand, slowly guiding himself into her. She let out a few short gasps, but otherwise stayed quiet. For the fact that they were supposed to be a newlywed couple, deeply in love and on their wedding night, they both were eerily quiet.

“I think I can hear the trees grow outside”, Caitlin remarked, in line with his own thoughts, and Len let out a snort, nearly slipping out of her.

“Do you have to ruin the mood like that?” he asked and pushed all the way in, his hands now resting next to her shoulders. She looked up at him and actually poked out her tongue.

“What mood? Was there any mood to ruin?”

As a reaction, he simply snapped his hips and sent her into a drawn-out moan.

“Fuck you Len, why are you good in bed?”

Len simply grinned and set a hard pace, enjoying seeing always graceful and collected Caitlin writhing and moaning under him, if only to have the upper hand and see her speechless for once.

Their sex had nothing refined or even creative about it, but they exchanged a few more quips throughout, and once Len felt himself nearing completion he absently noted that he’d expected much, much worse from his first time with Caitlin. This wasn’t great by any means, but it was okay. And okay was good enough for them. They were friends, not lovers.

When he finally spilled in her he let out a grunt of his own, and nearly collapsed on her. From the way Caitlin was still moving against him, hips twitching and almost seemingly moving on their own, he could tell that she wasn’t there yet, so he reached down again, and after a little searching he found that little nub again that had seemed to get her going in the first place, and when he started carefully circling his fingers around it again, he found his arms being gripped by strong hands, and Caitlin let out a garbled noise. Before he could really wonder what was going on he felt the twitching around his softening cock, and when she started breathing heavily and slowly relaxed he figured she’d reached her peak as well. Carefully, he pulled back and out of her, then let himself flop down on the bed next to her.

“Well, that was an experience” she panted after a while, lifting a hand to high-five him. “Still like it better when Iris pegs me.”

He met her high five and then grinned at her while pushing himself up on one elbow. “An experience indeed. I’d swap your for Mick’s sweet ass anytime.”

“Seems we reached a consensus then” she gave back and poked him in the ribs. “I wonder how often we have to do this until we can stop.”

“That probably depends on how easily you’ll fall pregnant. But well, after tonight we can always wait a while and just do nothing until the pressure for an heir grows. That might give us a year or two of respite. Unless you’d rather have it out of the way...”

“Let’s not decide that tonight. I think I just… want to go and spend the rest of the night with Iris. If that’s alright with you?”

“Let me help you clean up first. I don’t know about the protocol of those things but I’m pretty sure it’s bad form if I let you go to your lady love with my fluids still sticking to you. I’m sure Mick left a basin with warm water somewhere...” He climbed out of the bed, and when he returned with a damp cloth she just took it from him and cleaned herself up in a way that was thoroughly aesthetically unpleasing. Len adored her for it. And then, he helped her back into her dress, wondering if he should put his wedding outfit back on as well so Mick could peel him out of it. Maybe with his teeth….

Once they opened the door to what would now be Caitlin and Iris’ chambers, Caitlin rushed through towards Iris, immediately embracing her and pulling her close. And more, Len couldn’t see because in return Mick came out and wrapped his strong, warm, safe arms around Len, holding him so tightly it almost hurt.

“I hated hearing that” he whispered, and Len immediately felt bad for it, no matter how much they’d talked about it before and how much Mick had told him that it was fine. He’d hurt the one who held his heart, so now he had to make up for it.

“I know… I know, Mick. So let me show you how it sounds when I’m invested in it?”

“Mh… changing the sheets first. Not gonna fuck you in her juices.”

That was actually a very good point, so Len helped Mick strip the bed and put on new bedsheets. They probably would have to do this again later, but really, he couldn’t care less. He dumped the soiled sheets outside of his chambers, where the maids could find them and scurry them away to whoever was old-fashioned enough to need proof that Len had nailed his wife in their first night. That done, he could finally get to the part of the night that he’d enjoy so, so much more.

Mick was upon him before he even reached the bed, tugging on the nightgown he’d put on so he wouldn’t scar Iris for life, tossing it in the corner and letting his hands roam all over Len’s exposed skin while kissing him wherever he could reach. Len’s eyes fell shut out of their own accord, and he let his head fall back. His knees went weak and he knew that if it weren’t for Mick’s hands to hold him up, he’d just fall and melt into a puddle of pleasured goo on the floor. Mick and his hands and his kisses could turn him on like few things could. He was sure that now, without even having gotten started for real, he was already harder than he’d ever been with Caitlin.

Mick was just all there was for him, and all there would ever be, at least where he was concerned. He just loved this man, and loved him so much. His own hands slid up and around Mick, coming up to grip his neck and squeeze where he knew Mick liked it best. In response, he found himself hauled up and into two strong arms, and then Mick was carrying him to the bed bridal style.

“Gonna show you how making love really feels, boss” Mick told him with a shit-eating grin, and Len knew that he knew exactly what he had just said. Mick might not talk the most, but he certainly knew what he was saying.

“I love you too, Mick” he sighed as Mick laid him out on the bed, and he stayed exactly as his partner had placed him. It seemed like Mick had some plan, after all, and he certainly didn’t want to ruin them. He found out soon that he had been right in his assumptions as Mick crawled between his legs, firmly planted his hands on Len’s sides and bent down. And then Mick’s lips were back on his skin, kissing down his torso in a fiery trail, leaving behind impressions of his love and his devotion to Len, and Len could do nothing but toss his arms over his own eyes and squirm and moan and somehow try to return all the love that he was being given.

In a moment where he was finally not filling the air around him with gasps and moans, he heard the distinct sound of Caitlin moaning through the door, and it sounded much more invested than anything he’d drawn from her before. It seemed things were going right on the other side of the door as well, then.

He almost jumped to the canopy above the bed when Mick reached his groin, but instead of going where Len really wanted him he kissed his way through the crease between Len’s thigh and groin and then moved down the inside of Len’s thigh, making him squirm more and causing gasps and squeals that Len would forever deny. The side of his head was brushing Len’s cock then, and just that little touch of skin nearly made him wild. He wanted Mick, and god, he wanted him badly.

“Mick-- Mick, I--”

“I got you, boss. I got you.” Somehow Mick’s hand on his stomach and his voice helped to center and calm himself a little bit again, but soon he was a quivering mess, watching with excitement and trepidation as Mick climbed up his body and came to sit on his chest. He opened his mouth, trying to give Mick’s gorgeous, beautiful cock a few good licks, but Mick just chuckled and slid back enough so he was out of reach.

“Gonna ride you good now, Lenny. Gonna ride you so good that you’ll forget everything but me.” And with that, he slid back and lifted his hips a bit, and Len was about to protest that they still needed to prep and stretch Mick when he felt himself already slipping in. The sneaky fucker had prepped himself in advance, it seemed.

Len hadn’t believed it was possible to love Mick more than he already did before that moment.

When Mick had sunken all the way down, taking Len up to the hilt, Len felt like he was seeing stars. Stars and white spots of pleasure and Mick’s wonderful, handsome face, painted more beautiful by pleasure and reduced to gasps by the feeling of Len’s cock inside of him.

“Mh, nothing like having my prince’s cock in me”, Mick growled, low in his throat, and then he started to roll his hips. Len’s hands flew up and once again came to rest in the back of Mick’s neck as he dragged him down. The angle was shit for fucking, but it didn’t matter too much as he slammed their mouths together. He needed Mick, and all of him, as much as he could, at the same time. He wanted Mick close, and closer, and closer still, and he never wanted to let go of him again. Their kiss was more of a shared breath with their mouths mashed together, but it didn’t matter at all. It was Mick, and Mick was glorious and wonderful and so warm and strong and good.

He let out a little whine when Mick pushed himself back up, but then Mick started moving again, rolling his hips against Len’s crotch and fucking himself on his cock, and Len felt like he was going cross-eyed. How could a single man give another man so much pleasure? He wondered that every time that he and Mick came together, and he could swear that every time was still better than the last. That first time that they’d tried bondage and he’d tied Mick to the bed and ridden him into oblivion had been unrivalled for a while, but now, locking eyes with Mick and seeing his own love reflected back at him, that was even better. Better than anything before.

Despite the fact that he’d just gone another round shortly before, Len lasted an embarrassingly short amount of time, and he arched up as he came, chanting Mick’s name as his world went white. He heard Mick gasping above him, and felt the tell-tale splattering of come on his own chest, and his only regret in the world right then was that he hadn’t had his eyes open to see Mick finish. He knew it was the most amazing sight, and he mourned every time he missed seeing it.

When he came back to himself some time later, he found himself on his side, facing a smiling Mick who was just watching him. Still feeling a bit woozy and out of it, Len simply returned the smile and leaned in for a clumsy, happy kiss. He hummed when it was granted and shuffled closer to his Mick, basking in the warmth that he gave off. Mick always was such a furnace, and Len often felt cold. And Mick was the very best heater he could ever have wanted.

“Hey, boss?”

“Mh?” Len didn’t really feel like talking much now, he just wanted to stay and curl up with Mick and forget about the world outside for a while. But of course, he’d always listen to what Mick needed to say.

“Just wanna say… I never told you, but you know I love you too, right?”

Len gave a happy hum and tilted his head up for a kiss before settling back into his wonderful soulmate. “You wouldn’t bear my sappiness if you didn’t. Or wear my ring.”

That night, sleeping wrapped up in Mick’s arms felt like the safest place on earth, and Len could not have been happier.

Len and Caitlin settled well into married life, all things considered. They mostly went about their days together, and acted like lovesick fools for the public, and at night they went back to their loved ones to finally be themselves again and show who they really cared for. Caitlin had amazing ideas when it came to the kingdom, and she was kind, patient, and ruthless. The people loved their new princess.

Lewis seemed to like Caitlin too, at first, until he realised that she had different ideas than he had, and that people started listening to her rather than him, and favouring her over their own king. After that, he wouldn’t speak to her anymore, and one day Len found him with his hand around Caitlin’s arm, his hand raised and ready to come down. From the redness on her cheek, he clearly had brought that hand down at least once already. Just as Len stormed in, she yanked herself free and stormed from the room, barking at Len where the hell Mick and Cisco were. Len purposely didn’t ask why she wanted to speak to the two of them, but he did spend an hour yelling at the king for mistreating his wife. His own reddened cheek he got for it was so worth it.

Len never asked what Caitlin had wanted from Cisco and Mick, but he knew what was up when a week later, Caitlin put on a sugar-sweet smile on the dinner table and told the king that she wanted to apologise for her rudeness the week before and had asked the chef to prepare a special dessert just for him. When it was Cisco who brought it up, and not one of the usual tasters, but Mick who took the obligatory spoonful and then placed it down in front of Lewis, he knew what was up. For a split second, he debated saying something, but then he saw Caitlin with her red cheek in front of his inner eye, and Lisa covered in bruises and with a cut on her shoulder, and Mick being dragged in in chains and his father calling him stupid. So really, he decided, he’d had it coming. So he sat back in his chair and smiled and held Caitlin’s hand as the king tucked into his pudding, and he watched when he started choking for hair and coughing, and he watched as the spasms started and he slowly slid off his chair, and he watched until the spasms stopped and all that was left of Lewis Snart was his earthly husk.

“Sister, dearest, I think we have a funeral and a coronation to plan”, he said, and he knew that Lisa’s responding tears were not tears of sadness. Len gave Caitlin a chaste kiss on the cheek, and then asked two guards to bring the king’s body down into the cellars to be prepared for the pyre.

He thanked Caitlin later, in private, with a long hug and a few teary words that he’d never normally let himself say, and then he celebrated later that night with Mick, and when Mick called him “your Majesty” for the first time, he may have come so hard he blacked out for a moment. Not that he’d ever admit to it.

“Do you know what this means?” he asked Caitlin a week later, when they were checking on the decoration of the throne room for the last time. They would soon go down to attend the funeral of the late king, and then they would go back to the palace and the new king and queen would be crowned.

“This means a lot of things, but which one in particular?” she asked, tugging on some draped fabric that had been placed over a chair decoratively.

“Well… we make the rules, then. Marriage rules… rules about heritage. Rules that are much more inclusive than what we have now… we can rewrite the law now, so people like us can actually be happy.” Caitlin gently patted his arm and then drew him into a short hug.

“Yes… yes Leonard, we’ll make the rules now.”

All eyes were on them, and analyzing their every move, so Len resisted the urge to spit in the fire once the pyre was lit. Only Mick knew, but he had gone down to the cellars the day before to ‘say goodbye’ to his father, and he had spit in his face there. It only felt like fair payback for all the times Lewis had done it to him. As soon as it deemed acceptable, he turned away and led Caitlin back on the path to the palace.

The crown felt heavy when it first came to sit on his head, but he knew he would have to get used to it. He placed the smaller one on top of Caitlin’s head himself, and then he pulled her up from her knees and they shared a kiss again. By now, it didn’t feel as awkward anymore, but he knew they both still wished someone else to be there.

The king and the queen and the crown princess had to make their way through a lot of congratulations and well-wishers to finally get their peace for a little while, but knowing that now they actually had it in their hands to change things made it bearable.

The first thing Len did was to toss out all of his father’s advisors, and bring in younger people, sons and daughters of good heritage that were known for being rebellious, for pushing boundaries, for wanting more than people thought possible. Before long, he had been nicknamed the Rogues’ King, and he was more than okay with that. Caitlin, in her way of tolerating no bullshit and clearly stating the way she wanted things done, and her ice cold behaviour towards people who crossed her, soon became known as the Frost Queen. The Rogues’ King and the Frost Queen were much more well-loved than king Lewis had ever been, and before long people started listening to them, and started paying attention to what they wanted, as well as embracing their new freedoms.

Loosening marriage laws meant that Lisa and Cisco could now be openly together, and Lisa visibly enjoyed the first time some old, rich lady nearly fainted as she saw the kitchen boy kiss the crown princess after handing her a piece of cake. Len wasn’t there for it, but he was sure that she’d made the kiss extra showy for it.

The first time he was out on a trip through town and got a glimpse of two men standing in a side alley, holding hands and sharing a kiss, he had to hold back tears until he was back home, but he cried in Mick’s arms that night.

When he was first approached about someone thinking that Caitlin was cheating on him, and with another woman on top of that, he laughed so hard he could hardly stop anymore. He kindly informed the nosey knowitall that his wife was very much not cheating on him, and that he should mind his own business.

“She’s not cheating on you with me, she’s cheating on me with you”, was Iris’ reaction later that day, and then she turned to kiss Caitlin’s pout away. Right there in the throne room.

They waited a few years, for things to settle and for the general public to become more accepting, but in the end, they did get divorced. They had talked about it for a long time, but both of them longed to be free again, free to give and show their affections for where they really lay. The public was shocked – their Rogues’ King and Frost Queen were supposed to be together! - but really, Len couldn’t have cared less.

The day they signed the divorce felt like a celebration day to them, so they ended up on Len’s bed, Mick and Len, Caitlin and Iris, and Lisa and Cisco, and they had a giant apple pie and ice cream between them, and Len felt like he’d never been that happy, and had never laughed so much. Here, with his partner by his side and his sister and his friends around him, he truly was at home.

The Frosty Queen became the Icy Advisor, and she was as fierce and wonderful as she has been as a queen, and Len would never want to miss her at his side. They would never be lovers, but they belonged together now, and things were great as they were.

The queen’s place was taken by the Quiet Consort, as they called him, as Mick still preferred to listen, and think for a while before he gave an answer. He had also admitted to Len that ‘all those rich shits’ still intimidated him, but Len knew that some of those rich shits were really scared shitless of Mick. If they only knew what a gentle giant Mick really was…

He loved that Mick could now openly wear the ring that Len had given him, and they’d also had a private ceremony for their joining. On the same day, right after them, Caitlin and Iris had also sworn eternal love to one another.

But the true wonder of their lives, Len thought, was when they found little Ray abandoned in the streets, clutching a stuffed animal and crying for his parents. He didn’t know where his parents were, or who, just that he hadn’t seen them in a while. A search yielded no results, and while some of his advisors urged him to give the child into the system, some also thought the young boy might be a good candidate for an heir. A clean slate, so to speak. And when Len entered their room that night and found Mick on the couch, little Ray curled up on his chest, suckling on his thumb and fast asleep, he knew which of the two it would be.

Crown Prince Ray was soon known as Sir Ray of Sunshine, or Sunny for short, and he was the happiest kid Len had ever seen. He laughed and ran around all day, and he happily jumped into Lisa’s arms and on Len’s back, and he always got extra cake from Cisco, and extra kisses from Mick, and of course from Len as well. He’d never thought of himself as a father, but now that he had Ray, he knew that it was exactly the right thing. Caitlin and Iris were the best supportive aunts for the new child at court, and especially Iris would just about kill to get babysitting duty for the ‘cutest sun on earth’, as she called him.

A few months later, Len asked Ray if he missed his parents when he tucked him into bed at night.

“But Dad, you’re my parents now. You and Papa. And I have auntie Lisa and Cisci and Ice-aunt and Iris. I don’t miss you, you’re right here. Read me a bedtime story?”

Len looked over to where Mick was sitting at their desk, practicing his reading – Len had decided that if Ray learned to read, then Mick should too, since he’d never gotten the chance as he grew up – and received a loving smile in return, and he took the book that Ray handed him and opened it to the page where they had stopped last night. He crawled into the much too tiny bed with Ray and let him settle against him so he could see the pictures as Len read to him.

He had been wrong before. It was only now that he had everything he could ever want. And now that he had it, he would do everything in his power to keep it that way.


End file.
